class guy {
    void foo(boolean GandS, boolean playing_blackjack) {
  if (GandS) float HMS_Pinafore;
  while (playing_blackjack) double down;

  down = HMS_Pinafore;
    }
}

-- errors --
guy.java:7: Undefined variable: down
          down = HMS_Pinafore;
          ^
guy.java:7: Undefined variable: HMS_Pinafore
          down = HMS_Pinafore;
                 ^
2 errors
Exit 1

From: Guy Steele

There does remain a problem, however. The Java specification of March 15,
1995, says (sectino 8.1):

Declarations can appear anywhere that a statement is allowed.
The scope of a declaration ends at the end of the enclosing block.

I conclude that the following is a valid Java program:

{
if (GandS) float HMS_Pinafore;
while (playing_blackjack) double down;
...
down = HMS_Pinafore;
}

because I have put the declarations where statements may appear
(as the body of an "if" or "while" statement) and the scope of
the variables "HMS_Pinafore" and "down" ends at the end of the
enclosing block, delimited by the braces in the example. Is my
conclusion correct, or is the specification in error?

--Guy